Pneumatic lift plunger



21 9 1 @fi g July 25, 1933. N. H. RICKER PNEUMATIC LIFT PLUNGER FiledOct. 5, 1931 A TTORNEY NORMAN H. RlCKER INVENTOR NORMAN HQRIOKER, ornousrongmnxas;

Patented July 25, 1933' i h HOUSTON, TEXAS, A conPonArIoNorrExl-rs rnnuvxarromrr PL NGER Application filed. octberaieail seri l-no. 567,076.

r i This invention relates toswab'plungers to v be employed inliftinvfluid from deep wells l D by gas or'air pressure.

wab plungers of this character'areemployed within an eduction tube fortheliquid extending from the surface to a suitable depth below theliquid level. The plunger, with a load of liquid above it, is liftedbyair'orgas'pressure from the lower end of the tube to the surface and theliquid'is there discharged.- This operation of the plunger maybemadecontinuous and automatic except for clogging of the plunger withparaffin and the like and ordinary wear in the appara-,

tus. It is found that paraffin and similar material found in the oil.tendsto gather and accumulate on the interior 'ofthe eduction tube andclog the progress of the plunger.

It is an object of my invention to so con struct the plunger that itwillremove accumu-' lations of paraflin and the like from the tube andthus avoid the usual clogging of the plunger in its operation.

I desire to form scraping projections on the body of the plunger whichwill scrape foreign material from portionsof the tube at eachstroke ofthe plunger and thus prevent accumulations thereon.

In the drawing herewith Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my plunger.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section through my device.

Fig. 3is a transverse section plane 3-3 of Fig. 1.' I

Fig. 4 is a broken section on the plane 4ll of Fig. 5.' v

Fig. 5 is a brokendet ail of the of my improved plunger. Y

My plunger is not materially different from plungers heretofore used inpneumatically. operatedswab devices except forthe scraping elementswhich I employ. The body 1 of the plunger is cylindrical on its outertaken on the upper end surface except for longitudinally extendingradial ridges or lands 2, shaped to closely; engage the inner surface ofthe eduction' These lands are spaced; apart and their ends are groovedor beveled on the inner side at 3 to provide a scraping p 1 and the likeis largely eliminated and the.

tubenot shown.

edge 4.

and2. I r In the operation of the plunger the lands The body 1 isconnected at'its lower end to a ring-shapedhead 5 the'lower portion ofsaid ring beingbeveled inwardly at 6 and a removable valve 'seat ring;8is fitted on the inner face'of the head and held in position by thethreaded --engagement ss mmo HUGHES moon COMPANY? or of thebody 1.

with the head' Said valve ring has a face 7 which forms a sealing seatfor the valve9. The valve 9 is normally supported in open position by ablocklO-jspacedfrom the valve seat by legs 11'.- The valve support issmaller in diameter than'the body 1', andthe'legs 11 outer face of saidsupport. The lower ends of the legs are beveled on one side, at 12, so-

'arefi'connected integra lly therewith on the as to cause the plunger totend to rotate slight- 7 1y as it drops downwardlyiand thus cause thelands 2 to change their position circum-, ferenti-ally' of the tube ateach stroke. 7

' The head 'block 10 "is rounded off on its lower side to obtain astream line effect-and is formed. with an axial guide for .thevalve Istem 13 which. extends from. '9 downwardly through the guide andprojects below to contact with a stop member in, its operation. Thevalve head!) is seated in open position within a recess 14 in the upperend of the block'lO so that it will tend to the valve head remain openon the downward stroke of the .plunger.

The ring-shaped head 5 is of the same 'external diameter as the bodyofthe plunger and the lands 2 are cut thereon in the same manner as uponthe plunger body. The lower ends of the lands are; beveled at 4 on thering as they are on the upper end ofthe plunger,

only are in close contact with. the interior of This will be clear fromFigsrl the tube and will scrape away the paraffin from the tube andwillcarry it to theends of the tube where it may bescraped'away atintervals or otherwlse removed. A large part ofthe scrapings willcarried away in the p current of oil discharged from the well.

'By the use of thisplu'nger'the clogging of; l

the plunger due to accumulations .of paraffin pump will operateautomatically for relatively long periods of time without change.

What I claimas new is: A 1. A swab plunger adapted to be moved within aneduction tube and including a'cylindrical body member, ahead below thesame, an upwardly tapered valve seat belowv said body, a valve shaped tofit said seat,

means to support said valvein open position below said seat, andradially projecting lands on said body adapted to engage the innersurface of said tube. I

2. A swab plunger for operation within an eduction tube in wellscomprising a tubu lar body having a plurality of spaced landslongitudinally thereof to fit against the inner surface of said eductiontube and scrape1naterial therefrom, a support below said body and avalve on said support toclose the course through said tubular body.

3. In a swab device, a plunger including a tubular body havlng acylindrlcal outer face, spaced lands longitudinally of said plungeradapted to engage the inner surface of an eduction tube, and sci-ape thetube when said plunger is moved longitudinally of said tube, a lowersupport on said body and a'valve movable on said support.

of said plunger adaptedto engage the inner surface of an eduction tube,the end of said plunger being grooved outwardly on the interior at saidlands to bevel off to form a curved cutting edge on said lands andscrape the tube when said plunger is moved long-itudinally of said tube,a ,lowersupport on said bodyand a valve movableonsaid sup-- port.

6. A plunger for lifting fluid fromwells, including a tubular body,'avalve controlling the passage of liquid through said body, and

spaced lands extending longitudinally on the outer surface of said bodyto contact with C0 the interior wall of the eduction tube and scrapematerialtherefrom.

NORMAN 7H. RICKERQ

